Beamer wrote on Nov 16, 2010, 11:30:But where are they one step behind?

I'll give you with the Zune.But WP7? It's a step behind in some ways and a step ahead in others.

Oh please, they took their ball and sulked after their last mobile OS effort. They are up against the well entrenched RIM on the corporate side of things and Android/iPhone on the consumer side. To say that it's an uphill battle would be a staggering understatement. Whether they have an individual feature or two over a competitor doesn't change anything, especially given how frequently their competitors give updates.

Windows 7? Way ahead of OSX.

This I can agree with.

Xbox 360? Ahead of PS3 and Wii.

Except that it's still behind the Wii and the PS3 has rapidly closed the gap, probably surpassing it next year if current sales trends continue.

Microsoft is more "with it" now than ever before.

If Microsoft was "with it", they would have been ahead of the game on these things. They can't attract young talent thanks to Facebook and Google and their CEO remains a dinosaur. They've also lost several key executives who were responsible for their few successful outings in the past five years.

The Wintel hegemony and Office are really what drives the company. Everything else is a joke on their financial statements.

_neolith_ wrote on Nov 16, 2010, 06:16:add the ability to get the game on disc for a small fee, create the possibility to automatically backup all savefiles/settings local and on the cloud for reinstalls.

Good point, it wouldn't cost much to distribute the install files on a cd, and people still would need to login to steam to play the game. Another good idea that steam hasn't bothered to implement.

I'll simply guess that it isn't part of their deal with the publishers, same with all other digital distributors. And the publishers probably won't want such a contract due their retail partners. The only exception I know is Matrix - and they are the publishers and don't go retail, so no real comparison.

Besides, it wouldn't make sense for the customers either. You can get disc based games cheaper than the downloads at Steam (not counting some sales). So why should anyone pay something on top, to get what he already could have cheaper?

_neolith_ wrote on Nov 16, 2010, 06:16:create the possibility to automatically backup all savefiles/settings local and on the cloud for reinstalls.

When they originally anounced GFWL and Steam was still in diapers, they promised this feature together with many many things that would brighten PC gaming's future...Then they left all of the PC gaming scene to rot in favor of their xbox "shitsystem". Luckily Steam picked up the ball and made online distribution what it is today. Personally I hope these incompetent, out-of-touch-with-reality idiots don't ever get out of the hole they dug themselves in with PC gaming...

_neolith_ wrote on Nov 16, 2010, 06:16:add the ability to get the game on disc for a small fee, create the possibility to automatically backup all savefiles/settings local and on the cloud for reinstalls.

Good point, it wouldn't cost much to distribute the install files on a cd, and people still would need to login to steam to play the game. Another good idea that steam hasn't bothered to implement.

Fun game time:What can Microsoft do to compete with Steam (assuming prices can be, at best, equal?)What are the holes in Steam Microsoft can plug by doing it better?If you were given $100 million and told to create the best digital PC gaming platform, what would you do?

Well, I'd start by nailing the basics. I'd implement a download manager that allows for individual limits and an overall limit (to avoid consuming your entire internet connection). I'd implement in-game video chat through an overlay that can be user positioned per game. Valve has made a start with Steam Cloud, so take that idea and apply it to all games - unlimited online storage and save game management. I'd implement game-in-game, so you could launch something like Peggle from within Civlization V. I'd add better grouping, allowing multi-select. I'd have a universal install for DirectX/C++, etc - rather than each game installing them on first launch it would just install the latest version each time it is needed. I'd add comprehensive clan support and provide chat rooms / forums; this would include game timers and it would allow visitors to the clan page to spectate games.

Honestly, there's so much you can do with a little thought. Unfortunately Microsoft just doesn't understand gamers and there is no vision. They're trying to play catch-up and failing.

Also: Drop _all_ links to the 360 site, drop the need for Windows Live ID, get the GFWL site running properly, allow people to use the service without having to use the GFWL client or having to create an GFWL account, allow cutomers to log in with existing accounts like OpenID, create independent cross game chat and voice chat that is at least on par with TS3, allow unlimited downloads, add the ability to get the game on disc for a small fee, create the possibility to automatically backup all savefiles/settings local and on the cloud for reinstalls.

What it comes down to is that if anyone has the resources to create a TRUE competitor to Steam, it's Microsoft. But for all their talk of "recommitting (and re-re-recommitting) to PC gaming, they haven't showed a whole lot of effort. I think everyone is just tired of them sort of, maybe, kind of, dabbling, with a toe-in-the-water type of mentality, in PC gaming. Either go in whole hog already, or step aside and stop muddling the market up.

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” - Mahatma Gandhi

I wonder what manager failed this time. MS wants a restart to get on the road to success? With those prices? Buhahaha! They must be kidding. Not to mention that they also set $1 = 1€. Dear MS, if you make the customer close your shopping site within seconds ...

Its a little late for MS to jump on the bandwagon now, if want it to really succeed now, they'd have to really impress people.They should have had a tiny bit of vision even as little as 3 years ago seeing how fast steam was growing and worked on making a better client/content manager than steam. I've always been underwhelmed by things like steam's server browser and other features, MS could have beat them easily with a small investment. But no, nowadays they really only care about console market, and this underwhelming store release shows that all that talk about re-dedicating themselves to PC is just that... talk. Just like when they threatened to sue anyone who uses Kinect on other things than xbox 360, despite that they make a profit on every one sold. Instead of monetizing it on PC, they just want to kill any potential market for it outside of consoles.

So, MS, what are you going to underwhelm us with next in this rededication to PC?